17th Century Furniture (part 10 of 31)

Low Countries
During the first half of the 17th century, the northern provinces became a major maritime power. The city of Amsterdam grew prosperous, and the influx of exotic goods and materials brought from the Far East by the Dutch East India Company made this city a real haven for artists and craftsmen.
Traditional manufacturers flourished in the southern Netherlands, which at the time was still under Spanish Hapsburg rule. Flemish craftsmen were known in particular for their luxurious tapestries, stamped or gilt leather and weavings, used for both upholstery and wall hangings.

Popular Styles
Early 17th century furniture, now antique furniture, from the Low Countries was generally quite simple, although more elaborate pieces were made for wealthy patrons. For much of the century, the four-door court cupboard was the most important piece of furniture in wealthy homes. Usually made of Oak and often decorated with intricately carved figures, or intarsia panels depicting architectural scenes.
Walnut then became the timber of choice after 1660 and was quite often embellished with inlays or exotic veneered panels. In Holland, the 'arched' cupboard with two long panelled doors remained fashionable.

Luxurious Cabinets
As in Italy, the Augsburg cabinet was influential. Early in the century, Flemish craftsmen in Antwerp made small table cabinets veneered with imported ebony, they also begun to use new and exotic imports as veneers - perhaps influenced by the Northern Provinces' trade with the East.
Table cabinets then gave way to 'cabinets on stands', decorated with ebony, mother of pearl and tortoiseshell veneers. Cabinets later had carved stands with legs made from gilded caryatids or ebonized wood - this can be seen today with reproduction furniture.
Later in the century, craftsmen such as Jan van MeKeren, a cabinet maker in Amsterdam, decorated large cabinets on stands and tables with intricate floral marquetry, inspired by the still life floral paintings that were popular at the time.
The contrasting colours of ebony from Madagascar, purple amaranth from Guyana, rosewood from Brazil and sandalwood from India were combined to create marquetry of consummate skill. Exported to France and then England - these cabinets provided inspiration for cabinet makers there, who developed their own styles of veneering.

Everyday Pieces
Floral marquetry was not just used to embellish cabinets - side tables were often decorated in the same way. More typical of the Low Countries, however, were tables and cupboards decorated with a wealth of naturalistic carving.
Chests of drawers were often made of oak, polished or stained to resemble ebony. Ebony or stained pearwood was used for mouldings.
Chairs tended to be rectangular with low or high backs. Usually made of walnut and upholstered in leather, cloth or velvet with brass studs.
As the century advanced, inspired by imports from India, chair seats and backs were made of cane.
The legs were linked by stretchers. The artist Crispin van den Passe's Boutique Menuiserie, published in Amsterdam in 1642, showed elements of Mannerism in chair design, but it also included simpler chairs with straight backs, double stretchers, and carved arms terminating in dolphins.

French Influence
Towards the end of the century, the dazzling furniture of the Court at Versailles became a new source of inspiration, compounded by an influx of Huguenot designers and craftsmen, such as Daniel Marot (featured in the next article) fleeing religious persecution in France.
The French influence soon became evident as Dutch furniture and fitted furniture, became more sculptural and less rectangular. Based on Marot's designs, chairs now had tall, richly carved backs with crested back rails.